In order to perform an operation, such as an operation of grasping and lifting an object, by using a robot hand, it is necessary to measure not only the grasping force but also the state of frictional force and the like generated on the contact surface between the surface of the robot hand and the surface of the object. Preferably, the state of such contact surface is directly measured by means of a contact sensor.
As a contact sensor, a tactile sensor 100 as shown in FIG. 16 is disclosed that includes a structure body 103 having a sensitive section 102 supported by a hinge section 101, a detection section for detecting the attitude of the sensitive section 102, and an elastic body 104 covering at least the sensitive section 102 of the structure body 103 (for example, Patent Literatures 1 to 3).
In Patent Literatures 1 to 3 described above, when shearing force is applied to the elastic body 104, for example, in the x-direction in FIG. 16, the sensitive section 102 is deformed together with the elastic body 104, and hence the shearing force can be measured by detecting the deformation of the sensitive section 102 by using a piezo-electric element serving as the detection section.